Following the publication of my article in the AQUAFAUNA n°82, I decided to take again the feather to add some new comments to it. This text will thus refer very often to my first article, and is only one complement.

A little systematic to go back in form: the species (or subspecies) altum belongs to the pterophillum kind, the Cichlidés family, the Percoïdes sub-order, the order of Perciformes, the super order desTéléosténiens, (ouf!, it is finished). P scalare can hybrider with P. altum and to give nonsterile descendants.

Spirit of family

According to Schultz (1967) there are 3 Pterophylles: P. scalare, P.altum, and P. dumerilii (scalar with pointed head, having a dark spot at the base of the dorsal fin, it smaller and is lengthened more than P.scalare). According to Kullander (1986) it y a: P.scalare, P.altum, and P.leopoldi (more gracile that P.scalare, it has a black spot under the thorny part of the dorsal fin). It regards P. eimeki and P.dumerilii as synonym of P.scalare.

The names zeus scalaris, plataxoïdes dumerilii, Plataxoïdes leopoldi, and Pterophillum eimekei (dwarf form of P.scalare) which one can find in the old literature are not more correct. In short as one can see it, it is the artistic blur among ichtyologists. One will thus retain the statements of Kullander (= the last revision in date). It is not improbable to discover new geographical varieties like P.scalare of Rio Téfé (the Amazon) or P.scalare of the means Ucayali (Peru). It is me which saw it the first.
It was found by certain Chaffanjon and described in 1903 by Pellegrin.
Géo now It has a surface of restricted enough distribution, one finds it in Venezuela, in Colombia and in Brazil, it attends the higher network of Orénoque, Rio Atabapo, the channel of Casiquaire and probably Rio Negro.

Altum or not altum?

Most scientific will count the numbers of scales. It has 41-47 scales in the direction length, 14-16 between the dorsal line and the side line, 31-34 between the side line and half of the belly. Moreover, it has 30 soft rays for the dorsal et32 for the anal one (Another indique28-29 source for the dorsal, 28-32 for the anal one). The only problem it is that the animal does not let itself make!

The others will seek the haughtiest fish of the store or more seriously one will check that the fish has a "break" on the profile above the eyes (criterion necessary but not sufficient) the scales must be small one remembers that altum wants to say high in Latin, the body must form an oval and the odd fins must be long. This is especially true for young people the bus the adults appear squater to me. Small the altums makes me think of these large mosquitos called tipules, very encumbered that they are with their long fins the adults, especially the dominant ones, has the brown-orange top of the head and the back moucheté of small of the same spots color. Between each dark vertical bar, it there has another very pale but supplements the adults, when they are excited, have a black comma which is marked behind it. Not having never held of wild P.scalaires of form, I not to say little to you if that is clean with the species altum. adult they are larger than P.scalare (22cm of top out of aquarium and 30 cm in nature). It is checked that the second vertical bar which starts under the hard rays of the dorsal narrows while going down towards the anal fin. one will be wary like plague of name "altum Guyana variety" or more recently of "altum red back" by rather seeking name "real altum, Orénoque".

Savages!, you said wild?

In spite of the assertions of an exporter, the altum which one currently finds in the trade seems me resulting from breedings. I think that because a few years ago, one found only individuals of big sizes which were often in very bad conditions (significant losses). Now, the altums are small, all of the same size, and accept dry food easily. The reproduction of the altums in captivity being very rare, perhaps acts it of hybrids P. scalare/P. altum.

Hello doctor!

I do not think that this fish is more delicate than another. It is just necessary to take care to acquire it in good condition medical and to offer specific conditions of maintenances to him to its species (fresh and acid water A + - 28°C, regular changes of water, varied food, significant volumes, and calms) My bigger problem with these fish was crises of panics as sudden as violent. After reading of an article of Sven Fornbäck which reports the "suicide" of its altum, I learned that it is not an isolated fact. It is thus advisable to make safe them as much as possible, in particular by large deep vats (= distance from significant escape), hiding-places in sufficiency, and looking after lighting (lighting and progressive extinction). These crises occurring per period, it would be can be judicious to filter water on activated carbon in order to eliminate all phéromones from stress (= substance of alarm) secreted by the altum. I also observed on several occasions of small lesions on the lower lip, the body, and the eyes undoubtedly due to crossing gravel or has a shock on the decoration. The altums are sensitive has the rot of the fins and my fish already had the very light ones necrose the pectoral ones. A height of significant water (minimum 60 cm) prevents that the fins do not wear on the substrate, which could cause pathologies.

In the chapter of the horrors, I already saw in tradesmen of the altums with stubs as fins, of the mouths completely deformed by a kind of wart, and a altum failing with a otocinclus wedged at the bottom of the mouth.

What does one eat this evening cherished?

Like anégdote, I already saw my fish eating alive locusts, small planorbes, duckweeds (Lemna sp), watery plants with half broken up, chips of algae separated by a razor blade. In short, one should not hesitate to vary the menus (I even read that a stockbreeder added mangos its pâtée for discus) Barbec (at) the neighbor!

In my first article I recommended cardinalis like cohabiting. Although not having noted anything visu, I suspect my babies to have had night fringales, at the time or the cardinalis are disorientated by the extinction of TL Currently I lodge them with of Microgéophagus ramirezi

C you speak Fish?

In a review aquarist, I could read that the male scalars emitted acute squealings with their jaws during their fights or hanging their parades. I also intended my altums to emit sounds, but for me, these noises resembled more has fingers which one makes crack the cartilage.

Sexxxxxxxxxxxx

After many research on this subject (defense of laughing!), I finally could obtain a translation of Mr. Verdeau of the article of Sven Fornbäck published in " DAS AQUARIUM ". Here is a summary.
Physicochemical characteristic of the water of Rio INRIDA and ATABAPO during the season dries: PH of 4.8; 15 ms conductivity; GH and KH of 0° all; nitrite 0 mg/l; t° 30-32° C It does not have there unfortunately data for the rain season.

In the aquarium, conductivity was 300 ms, pH 7, t°29-30°C, and the decoration consisted of roots which delimited two territories. There was no ground for a better hygiene. In this aquarium of 700 liters (100*100*70) (L*l*h), there were 5 young people altum. Food especially consisted of white larvae of mosquitos (chaoborus)qui is a very good food for our fish. After a certain time, a couple was formed naturally. M. Fornbäck then decreased conductivity with 30 ms and pH 5 with continuous water changes and a filtration on peat in order to obtain a reproduction for May or April, which corresponds to their period of reproduction in nature (= error in my first article?). What seems to have started the abrasion it is the introduction of a couple of discus which laid three days later. The couple of altum started to clean the root and a foot of spathiphillum. The laying of the discus was devoured by the adult altums and discus as well as the 3 others altum were withdrawn. June first of 18. 30 at 23. 00, they laid + - 600 eggs on the root. One the third of the laying mildews. The author thinks that that is due to the micro-organisms present in the cracks of the roots. After 60 hours with 30°C, the eggs hatched and 72 hours later, the larvae started to leave the support. After 72 more hours, the alevins reached the freestyle. The adults dealt very well with their offspring. The alevins accepted nauplies of artémias like the first food. The breeding of the young people was very simple, each day, siphonage of waste and change of part of water.

P.scalare lives in bench of about thirty individuals, and is insulated in couple to reproduce at the time of the rain season. The young people would gather then per thousands in deeper water. These behaviors are surely able to be extrapolated in P.altum.

To conclude this chapter, I think that with the arrival of P.altum resulting from breeding, it is more than probable that its reproduction in captivity will become easier. We point out that P.scalare was very difficult to reproduce at the beginning of its importation (in Hamburg in 1909). The altum has imported him for the first time at the beginning of the Fifties without much of success, then again in 1972.

Mister or Madam?

It is really not easy to recognize the sex of Pterophylles, but is this really significant?, Since one must have 6 at least of them and that then, the probability of having at least 2 fish of different sex is of 96.9%.La genital papilla of the male at the time of the reproduction conical and is directed forwards, whereas it cylindrical, is truncated at its end and is directed towards the back in the female. For infos, certain authors say that: the females P scalare are thicker behind the ventral fins and under the pectoral ones. The profile of the abdomen forms a round and regular curve. In the male, this profile forms a hollow behind the ventral fins. The males are flatter and compressed laterally, they are larger and have a slightly prominent face (= bump). Avec ou sans filtre ? J.ai a long time minimized l.importance of the filtration and the mixing of l.eau, but recently, following the reading d.un article indicating that biological filtration was done badly in acid medium, j.ai re-examined these parameters with the rise, and my fish s.en do not carry more badly. Personally, in the event of reproduction, and without use of peat, I would filter on UV to limit the development pathogenic d.organisms always present in great quantities in our aquariums, but I would not filter on activated carbon, because that already posed problems with stockbreeders of discus.

$$$

It is necessary to count between 900 and 1400 francs for a young fish which in my opinion must live good d.année ten. Expensive C.est, but this n.est nothing compared with my invoice d.

ELECTRABEL Chocolat/vanille J.ai which been able to read that the altums could have phases clear or sinks, that wants simply to say that the altums can modify l.intensity of their transverse tapes according to their moods, and not qu.il exists clear or dark populations as for example l.Aigle botté (only my friends ornitho will include/understand). DO NOT FAIL TO FOLLOW THE NEXT EPISODE.